A few facts about sugar

"Added sugars" are the sugars and syrups added to foods during processing. Desserts, sodas, and energy and sports drinks are the top sources of added sugars for most Americans, but many other foods contain added sugars.

Why is sugar added to so many foods?

Sweetness has an almost universal appeal. So adding sugar to processed foods makes them more appetizing. But sugar is also added to foods because it:

Gives baked goods flavor, texture, and color

Helps preserve foods, such as jams and jellies

Fuels fermentation, which enables bread to rise

Serves as a bulking agent in baked goods and ice cream

Balances the acidity of foods containing vinegar and tomatoes

Why is added sugar a problem?

Foods with a lot of added sugars contribute extra calories to your diet, but provide little nutritional value. In addition, added sugars are often found in foods that also contain solid fats, such as butter or margarine, or shortening in baked goods.

Eating too many foods with added sugars and solid fats sets the stage for potential health problems, such as:

Poor nutrition. If you fill up on sugar-laden foods, you may skimp on nutritious foods and miss out on important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Regular soda plays an especially big role. It's easy to fill up on sweetened soft drinks and skip low-fat milk and even water—giving you lots of extra sugar and calories and no other nutritional value.

Weight gain. There's usually no single cause for being overweight or obese. But added sugar might contribute to the problem. Adding sugar to foods and beverages makes them more calorie dense. It's easy to consume extra calories when eating foods that are sugar sweetened.

Increased triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the bloodstream and fat tissue. Eating an excessive amount of added sugar can increase triglyceride levels, which may increase your risk of heart disease.

Tooth decay. All forms of sugar promote tooth decay by allowing bacteria to multiply and grow. The more often and longer you snack on foods and beverages with either natural sugar or added sugar, the more likely you are to develop cavities, especially if you don't practice good oral hygiene.

Recommendations regarding added sugar

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that added sugars make up no more than 10 percent of your daily calories. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that means no more than 200 calories a day should come from added sugars.

The American Heart Association advises a stricter limit for added sugars—no more than 100 calories a day for most women and no more than 150 calories a day for most men. That's about 6 teaspoons of sugar for women and 9 for men. One teaspoon of sugar has about 16 calories.

To put this into perspective, a 12-ounce can of regular soda has about 160 calories, or about 10 teaspoons, of sugar.

Unfortunately, U.S. adults get 13 percent of their total daily calories from added sugars, which exceeds the recommendations.

Recognizing added sugar

Identifying added sugars can be confusing. Most people look at the Nutrition Facts part of the label for the total number of grams of sugar in a serving of the product. It's important to realize, however, that the amount shown includes natural sugars found in certain ingredients, such as grain, fruit, and milk. The only reliable way to identify added sugars is to look at the ingredient list.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. If you see sugar listed among the first few ingredients, the product is likely to be high in added sugars.

Currently the Food and Drug Administration is considering updating the Nutrition Facts label to help clarify how much sugar is added to foods.

Different names for added sugar

Sugar goes by many different names, depending on its source and how it was made. This can also make it hard to identify added sugars, even when you read ingredient lists and food labels.

Check for ingredients ending in "ose"—that's the chemical name for many types of sugar, such as fructose, glucose, maltose, and dextrose. Here's a list of other common types of added sugars:

Cane juice and cane syrup

Corn sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup

Fruit juice concentrate and nectars

Honey

Malt syrup

Molasses

Despite what you may have heard, there's no nutritional advantage to honey, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate, or other types of sugar over white sugar.

How to reduce added sugar in your diet

To reduce the added sugars in your diet, try these tips:

Drink water or other calorie-free drinks instead of sugary sodas or sports drinks. That goes for coffee drinks, too.

When you drink fruit juice, make sure it's 100 percent fruit juice—not juice drinks that have added sugars. Better yet, eat the fruit rather than drink the juice to get the fiber, as well.

The final analysis

By limiting the amount of added sugars in your diet, you can cut calories without compromising nutrition. In fact, cutting back on foods with added sugars and solid fats may make it easier to get the nutrients you need without exceeding your calorie goal.

Take this easy first step: Next time you're tempted to reach for a soda or other sugary drink, grab a glass of ice-cold water instead.